Climate Journal Club Spring 2007

Focus : What is Climate Research?

Regular Organizer : Uma Bhatt (x 2662, bhatt@gi.alaska.edu)

Meeting Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Friday in IARC 319 CRN 35488

Class Syllabus available in pdf, here.

Meeting Overview:

  The "Climate Journal Club " has evolved from an informal meeting for researchers, Ph.D and Masters students that was held at IARC.

This spring we will try to broaden our views with more interdisciplinary presentations. Student presentations are welcome (even if you are not registered for the class).

We are working out the schedule with scientists according to our topic progression and their availability but the following topics will be presented during the semester:

Course Outline: Meeting Dates with Topics

     ABSTRACTS

On the Origin of Creativity by Prof. Joseph R. Kan

This talk is to share with you my learning experience on creativity. With a few exceptions, I learned mostly from failed attempts. Let’s start with three basic questions on creativity: What is creativity? Where does it come from? How to improve your creativity? Creativity embodies personal expressions of new idea originated from interacting with Nature. Creativity works through the feedback process between an individual and Nature, as the individual struggles to solve a real life problem or to understand a natural phenomenon. In natural science and engineering, the feedback is between the experiment and the theory. In liberal arts, the feedback is between the idea and the observation. In business, the feedback is between demand and supply. Learning through the feedback process is experiential learning, in contrast to book learning. There are no rules on creative process. However, creativity can be improved by developing creative habits, such as having the courage to take risks, to challenge assumptions, to recognize patterns, to make bold associations, to liberate imaginations, and to verify new ideas. Finally, creativity not only is the driving force in science and technology, in liberal arts and in business, it is also the driving force in leadership and in life. To lead a life or an organization in a successful direction takes the best of creativity. It takes all the creative habits to visualize and carry out the new strategy and the action plan.

Anecdotes, Facts, Opinions and Some History of the Theory of Relativity   by Dr. E. T. Newman

I will give a brief summary of the history of relativity - with some well known and some less know facts about this history. To prevent the talk from being too dry and dull, I'll tell a few relevant anecdotes and even express my opinion on some controversial issues. * As I am not an historian - nor a scholar who knows the historical literature - I will thus, of necessity, be talking about my own experiences and my direct involvement in general relativity (GR) over the years. My prejudices and blind-spots will be evident. * I will stay away from the early history of special relativity - except for one point - and also stay away from the early history of GR; i.e., all of Einstein's false starts and early difficulties. I will not talk about the early tests - perihelion, bending of light and redshift of star light - except to just mention them. * And a few general remarks about Einstein will be thrown in for good measure.